Managing systems and/or reactors that require fluid delivery for operation can be complex and difficult, given, for example, the wide variety of components used in reactor set-ups, the number of inlets and outlets required for fluid delivery, and the different types of fluids that can be involved. Conventional manifolds or other conventional means for controlling fluid flow often require complex tubing configurations to facilitate and control fluid delivery to and from a reactor. Such complex set-ups are not user-friendly and often require a multitude of expensive components that have an increased margin of error during use. Additionally, conventional systems require multiple pumps and complex valve systems to operate and facilitate flow through fluidic devices.
Power requirements (e.g. electromagnetic valves), low back-pressure rating (e.g. piezo driven valves), small head pressures (e.g. piezo driven pumps), the need for peripherals (e.g. pneumatic valves), the lack of automation (e.g. screw valves) and manufacturing difficulties (e.g. soft lithography) limit wide-spread applications of many valves/pumps used in the art for fluid delivery. There exists a need in the art for devices and systems capable of reducing the complexity of fluid delivery mechanisms and the cost associated with such mechanisms.